The present invention is directed to a clip and heat sink assembly for application to a standard electronic module such as a microprocessor chip which is adapted to be mounted into a standard socket assembly. The invention is also directed to a clip for clamping a standard heat sink module to an electronic module.
A standard heat sink module has a flat horizontal base which includes a flat bottom surface for abutting the flat upper surface of a microprocessor chip module. The heat sink module also includes an upper surface and a plurality of parallel rows of spaced vertical cooling pins or cooling vanes. Clips have been developed for clamping a heat sink module to a microprocessor chip module which is connected to a socket module. One such prior art clip has a grid-like resilient horizontal main section which fits over the cooling pins and rests on the upper surface of the heat sink module. A vertical leg is fixed to each end of the grid-like main section and extends downwardly along the outer end surfaces of the heat sink microprocessor chip module and the socket module. The lower end of each leg has a pair of apertures for receiving a pair of projections which form part of the socket module. The legs are forced downwardly against the spring bias of the main section of the clip into engagement with the projections of the socket module and maintained in this position by the spring bias of the clip. Other spring clips have been developed for clamping a standard heat sink module directly to a standard microprocessor chip module. This type of spring clip includes vertical leg portions which are provided with hooks for engaging the lower edge surface of the microprocessor chip module. The prior art spring clips are generally difficult to install and to remove because of the interference from the cooling pins. Special installing tools are required. In many cases, some of the cooling pins must be eliminated in order to accommodate the clip. In spite of the fact that prior art clips are difficult to install, they frequently become loose from their clamping function due to vibrations and other conditions normally encountered during operation of the electronic apparatus to which the clips are applied.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art spring clips have been obviated by the present invention.
It is, therefore, a principal object of the present invention to provide a spring clip for clamping a heat sink module to a microprocessor chip module which can be applied to and are moved from a chip module quickly and easily by hand without the need of special tools.
Another object of this invention is the pro-vision of a spring clip which will fit all types of microprocessor modules.
A further object of the present invention is the provision of a spring clip which does not require the removal or elimination of cooling pins.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a spring clip which correctly aligns the heart sink module to the microprocessor module and maintains this correct alignment when the two modules are clamped together by the spring clip.
A still further object of the invention is to provide a spring clip which will reliably maintain its clamping relationship with the heat sink module and microprocessor module package against shock and vibration while requiring a relatively low installation pressure.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a spring clip which provides uniform clamping force to the heat sink and to the microprocessor modules.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a spring clip which is simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture and capable of a long life of useful and reliable service.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of pans set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.